Machine and method for making bricks



April 25, 1950. H. M. M cAN 2,505,419

MACHINE AND METHOD FOR MAKING BRICKS Fi led Sept. '6, 1946 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Gttornegs H. M. M CAN April 25, 1950 MACHINE AND METHOD FOR MAKING BRICKS 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Sept. 6, 1946 am/m M. M dfi Gttornegs ljr Patented Apr. 25, 1950 NT OFFICE MACHINE AND METHOD FOR MAKING BRICKS Herman M. McCan, El Cajon, Calif.

Application September e, 1946, Serial No. 695,069

5 Claims. (Cl. 25105) -The present invention relates to brick making machinery and is more particularly concerned with an apparatus and method for making a concrete slab into bricks.

The primary object of the invention is to produce a novel method of cutting concrete bricks and an apparatus to carry the same into effect. I

Another object of the invention is to provide a novel and efiicient apparatus of the character referred to of simple and durable construction which is powered by electric motor.

' A further object of the invention is to provide a device of the character referred to of simpler and more compact construction than prior devices.

' "With the foregoing and other objects and advantages in view the invention consists of the novel construction and arrangement of parts for the apparatus, and a novel process for doing the work, as hereinafter described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings illustrating the construction of said apparatus,

.jjFigure 1 is a front elevation of the longitudinally movable cutting machine.

Figure 2 is a top plan view thereof, partly in section.

f.." F1gure 3 is an end elevation thereof.

Figure 4 is a top plan view of the cross cutting device.

. Figure 5 is afragmentary side elevation of the cross cutting device. a

. Figure 6 is fragmentary longitudinal section of the cutting disc shaft bearing of the longitudinal cutter.

Figure '7 is a vertical transverse section through the said shaft exteriorly of one end sill of the apparatus frame.

Like numerals, as used in the description and drawings, designate the same parts in the construction of the apparatus.

The frame of the longitudinal cutter A com- :prises. upper and lower longitudinal sills Ill and ll, upper and lower end sills l2 and I3 and vertical columns M, all connected and trussed to form an elongated rectangular frame, the top of which is-covered by a flat top l5. This frame is designed to be mounted on a track comprising a pair of spaced apart, parallel rails l6, suitably spaced to accommodate the concrete slab to be made and laid out on a specially prepared and level work surface between the rails, preparatory to cutting it into bricks.

The said rails are preferably constructed of angle iron and inversely disposed angle iron runners I! are attached to the lower ends of the upright columns l i.

Mounted in vertical bearing slots IS in the lower end sills l3 and approximately midway the said columns is a rotatable shaft IS on which are a plurality of discs 20 having cutting edges. These discs are arranged in groups and suitably spaced apart, both as to grouping and position in the group. Separating the several groups of cutting discs are trusses 2|. The shaft it passes through them. Between the discs are spacer collars 22, and similar collars space the groups from the said trusses, as well as the end sills.

Mounted on the projecting end of shaft I9 is a sprocket 23 which is driven by sprocket chain 24 from a smaller sprocket 25 mounted on the outer end of a rotatable stud shaft 26. This shaft is supported in a bracket 21 mounted on the top l5 of the machine.

Between the bracket and sprocket is a large gear 28 to which the sprocket is secured so as to be rotated thereby. Said gear meshes with a reduction pinion 29 which is mounted revolvably on a stud shaft supported in the same bracket but suitably positioned in relation to the first mentioned stud shaft. The ratio of said intermeshing reduction gears is preferably 100 to 1. Mounted on the shaft with the pinion 29 and rotatable therewith is a pulley 3B which is connected by belt 3| to a smaller pulley 32 on the drive shaft of a motor l3, preferably V H. P. Thus, it will be observed, the cutter discs can be operated by motor and controlled by a switch. Also it will be noted that the cutting discs, as normally set,

have their cutting edges in close proximity to the ground and they are maintained in this position by adjusting movement of shaft I8 in its bearings, as heretofore explained.

The rails l 6 on which the above described machine is designed to travel, are spaced apart to suit the width of the slab of concrete to be poured, as it will be made on the flat working surface between the rails and extend as far as desired. When the concrete is poured and spread suffil ciently deep to meet requirements, a heavy roller is passed over it until it is rolled down to the angle iron tracks. As these are preferably about 2 inches 11 gh, they fix the thickness of the slab. It

is now ready for cutting into longitudinal sections 1% by the use of the aforesaid machine. Any size of brick can be cut by simply changing the size of the spacers 22 and the bricks produced will be of the solid type.

The slab having been cut longitudinally the operation is now ready for cross cutting. For

this step in the process a hand operated transverse cutter Bis used.

It comprises a frame of a plurality of spaced parallel bars 34, approximately as long as the width of tracks 16. These bars are mounted on two angle iron runners 35 designed to travel on said tracks.

Mounted on said frame is a gang of five cutting discs 36, similartodiscs 20 of the main machine. These are mounted on a rotatable shaft 3'! and spaced by spacer collars 38. Said shaft is rotatably mounted in a hand drawn yoke 39, provided with a tongue and forward handle banflfl. fI-n-termediate said handle bar and the yoke' 39 isaI-lperpendicular bar ii with a handle bar 42 on top for lifting said discs when said frameis moved along said rails. The bars 34of the frame ofthis device are arranged so that each cutting disc travels between two contiguous bars, when the yoke is pushed across-the slab of concrete. To -'facilitate this second st'epin the operation; the tracks as are marked off and notched. This obviates measurements each time-the crosscutting is moved along. Further to facilitate the operation, the surface'of the runway is greased in ad- 'vance to prevent the finished bricks from sticking. :11? desiredth'e brick may'be left on'thefidor or: the runway and cured under water.

As different'embodiments may be"made of the mechanical features of this inventive 'conceptand modifications may be made in the embodiment hereinbefore showman-d described, it will be'understood that the matter herein is'to bein'ter- ,preted as illustrative merely, and not in. a'limiting sense.

W hat I claim is:

lnBrick making apparatus comprising apair of fixed, parallel rails, a flat work surfacebetween said rails, a longitudinal cutterandi-a transverse cutter supported on said rails for movement longitudinally thereof, said longitudinal cutter com prising a rectangularframe-supported. atits ends on said rails and-extendingathereabove, asha'ft ournaled 1n the lower portion of said frame and an anti adhesivematerial, forming a Slaboflpygextending transversely across. the space. between :said rails, a plurality of spaced-apart cutting discs secured on said shaft, and disc-driving means carried by said frame andhdrivingly.connected with-said shaft-and said transverse cutter comprisinga rectangularframe supported at its ends on said rails and including .a'pluralitybf spaced-apart, parallel bars providing -g'uide. slots extending transversely. of the space between said rails, a yoke cperatively positionedfabovesaid bars and having a tongue extendingloutwardly therefrom, a shaft jour-naled insaid yoke and extending transversely across said bars,. a. plurality of .discson said. shaft movable inthe guide'lslots between said bars, and a hand-lesecured to. said yoke for lifting the discs carri'edther'eby.

2. Brick making apparatus comprising a pair of fixed, parallel railsya flat; fixed"work'surface between saidraiis adapted to receive a slab of brick material, and.a longitudinal'cutter and a transverse cutter supported on said rails and. movable therealong to divide said slab longitudinally and'transvers'ely into'separable bricks, each of said. cutters: comprising a frame supported. at its ends on said rails and a. plurality of spaced-apart 7; Number cutting discs carried by the corresponding frame and movable through the space between said rails substantially in contact with said work surface.

3. Brick making apparatus comprising a pair of fixed, substantially parallel rails of a height substantially equal to the thickness of the bricks to be made, a flat work surface extending between said rails at the bottoms thereof to support a slab of brick material, the top surface of which is substantially flush with the tops of said rails, and a longitudinal cutter and a transversecutter supported on and movable along said rails and operative to divide said slab longitudinally and transversely -in-to separable bricks, said longitudinal cutter' comprising a, frame supported at its ends on said rails, a shaft journaled in said frame and extending transversely across the space between saidrails, and-a plurality of spaced-apart cutting discs secured on said shaft, and said transverse cutter comprising a frame supported at its ends on said rails and providing a. plurality of spacedapart guide slots extending transversely across the space betweensaid' rails, -a manually movable yoke'movable along said frame from' on'e of said rails to the other, a s-haft'carried by saidsyoke extending transversely of" said frame-and azplurality of cutting discs carried by-saidshaftand projecting through said guide 'slots.

*4. The method of -manufact-uring"bricks-which comprises form-ing-a slab of brick materialron a fixedworking surface between fixedspara'llel-rails, leveling the upper: surface of saidsla-b-toa rplane including the tops-of said rails,-.moving acutter along said rails to' impress a --plurality of -longitudinaily-eXtend-ing, spaced, parallelcuts in said slab, and moving a second cutter along said rails to successive positions tlierealong and transversely of the space:betweensaid rails=at thesuccessive positions -to impress a plurality of spaced, parallel transverse cuts insaid slabto therebydivide said-slab into aplurality-of separable bricks.

'5. The method of manufacturing bricks which comprises preparing a slab-receivingspaceon a fixed wor-k table between a pair of paralleLfi-xe'd rails by coating the slab-contacting surfaces with determined thickness in said space, movingv alongitudinal cutter. along said rails to impress aplurality of spaced, parallel cuts extending longitudinally of said slab, and moving a transverse cutter along said rails and transversely of the space therebetween to impress a plurality of "spaced, parallel cuts extending transversely of saidslab to thereby divide said'sla'o into-a plurality-of separable bricks.

HERMAN M. MCCA'N.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 42,680 Murtha s May 10,=1864 1,003,730 Freund -Sept.'- -19,.-1911 1,361,148 'Fontaine Dec. 7., 1920 1,580,519 Meyer. Apr..13,.1926 1,878,? 80 Keeler et a1. "Sdptet20p1932 FOREIGN PATENTS Country 'LDate 140,013 Germany 1 of 1906 

